Fishing Regulations by State

Each page below lists a state's statewide daily bag limits and length limits for the fish people actually target (bass, crappie, catfish, trout, walleye, and the headline coastal species where the state has a coast), the regulation year they apply to, whether there is a closed season, and the free fishing days when no license is needed. Every table links to the official agency guide it was read from, with the date it was last checked. The guide is the law; this is the summary you read first.

Limits here are the statewide defaults. Almost every state sets different rules on particular lakes, rivers and coastal zones, so look up the water you plan to fish in the official guide before keeping anything. For the license itself, use the licenses by state directory or the license finder.